‘Queen’
The
movie ‘Queen’ is a great entertainer, though we went to watch it thinking it to
be a ‘family movie’ while it had so many ‘dirty’ segments that we felt let down
many times. We had observed that so many people in the theatre had taken their
kids and entire families to watch the movies, perhaps under the same impression
seeing promos and many of them would have felt embarrassed. Nevertheless it had
many touching moments; if I recall some of those:
-
Rani (Kangana’s character) was depressed but when she found company of three
other guys who had more unfortunate life events behind them, due to relativity
she thought her life was not that miserable. It gave her strength to cope up.
-
At the very beginning of the movie, its touchiest part came when Vijay told
Rani that he could not marry her. Rani’s reaction to this news was a big test
for Kangana Ranaut and she came out very impressive in her acting. In fact this
movie should be remembered as a great show of acting skills and charisma of
Kangana Ranaut. She was very good at it and this may be one of the very few
Bollywood mass movies where lead actor is a female.
-
Rani left for Paris and Amsterdam all alone and managed it well. But she was
fortunate to have come across good people otherwise her adventure could have
gone horrid. In that sense, the movie was not leaving a very good message.
Though the transformation of Rani from one who obeys always to everyone (her
honest statement sums it well: “tell me one person whoever in this world to whom
I have not agreed and obeyed always”) to the one who is able to take her own decisions
was truly liberating. In this sense, the movie was putting up a very valid case
and example.
-
Rani’s ultimate rejection of her fiancé and boyfriend Vijay after he tried to
come back in her life was on the surface disappointing but I think Vijay
deserved it. It was interesting how he was thinking Rani of not being his equal
status, while in two weeks Rani had outgrown him. Near the end of the story,
Rani was more forward thinking and liberated person than Vijay who was
appearing as a boring damp shrub. Another interesting phenomenon was when Vijay
got a high paying job how he changed colours yet at his core he had kept his
previous philosophies. Rani on the other hand had truly grown up with
experiences…
Return to
Paradise
I
watched this 1998 movie only recently on TV and was immensely touched by it. I
read that this is a remake of a French film ‘Force majeure’ released in 1989. Nevertheless
I think this movie; its story and all the performances remain one on the best I
have ever seen.
Three
boys had great fun holidaying in Malaysia and unknowingly did a small mistake
of losing a rented bicycle and are caught for keeping drugs (though this part
they did not do unknowingly). Two of them return to the US while one remains in
the beautiful iland country which appeared like paradise to them and is to be executed
for the crime in Islam dominated country. The other two went on with their
lives but in a dramatic manner are told about their friend’s situation and
given option to share the blame and tolerate tough prison for at least two
years in order to save the life of their third colleague. Their reactions,
psychology, thought processes and working of the mind is very well captured. It
is irony that one of the two who agreed first to take the blame and go to
prison backs out first and one who never wanted to, keeps his promise due to
his own reasons.
It
was also very interesting how the guy they were going to save tells them that
he won’t have returned to save his friends, if he was in their place! His faith
in God and his disbelief in God’s presence due to painful prison life were also
very touching. It was also an irony that the guy hanged for the crime was the ‘best’
person and a good human being and responsible citizen amongst the three.
This
is such an excellent movie which touches our soul and no viewer would remain
unmoved watching it…
